Facade
by RedSharkBait
Summary: Trip and Hoshi are stranded on an alien planet. Travis is severely ill. Can T'Pol, Archer, and the rest save them in time?
1. Not On Your Life

Not On Your Life

Not On Your Life

"Well, this _sucks._" Trip Tucker was _not_ happy. And the reason wasn't as apparent as it usually was, which caused his friend and Captain to wonder why he was so angry.

"What 'sucks'?"

"Everything."

_Well, that's specific_, Archer thought. "Could you be a little more vague?" he asked as they turned around the corridor.

"I…ne'er mind."

"Okay."

An awkward silence followed. Archer knew Trip, and he knew what was coming. In true Tucker form, his friend snapped after a few seconds.

"It's just so darn _irritating._ It's driving me crazy."

"Who's irritating?"

"Who do ya think?"

"So it _is _a person." Trip had nothing to say about his quite obvious slip. "What did T'Pol do now?"

"T'Pol? Who said anythin' 'bout T'Pol?"

"She's not the irritating one?"

"Not at the moment, no. Although she can be a real…"

"Let's not go there. So who's bothering you so much?"

"I don't think I'm gonna tell ya. I shouldn't have said anythin'."

"Probably not. Too late now, though…wait a minute."

"What?" It took Trip a second to realize Archer had stopped walking, but he stopped too, a step ahead of his friend in the corridor.

"I know who it is."

"Oh, yeah?" Archer folded his arms and gave Trip a look.

"Trip, Trip, Trip. I knew this was going to happen."

Trip was caught and he knew it. _You an' yer big mouth,_ he thought, kicking himself for saying it out loud.

"I can't believe it, you actually...ugh." Archer stopped as his communicator beeped. He pulled it out and responded. "Archer here, go ahead." A British accented voice replied,

"Would you mind coming to the bridge for a moment, Captain? It's rather important."

"I'll be right there, Malcolm." He had been headed to Engineering with Trip, but now took the lift a few steps ahead of the pair. He walked quickly to the lift, Trip half-following him but knowing he had to keep going down the corridor. Archer turned as he stepped into the lift.

"You know what you're problem is?"

"What's my problem, Cap'n?"

"You have a crush on Hoshi." He smiled smugly as the door closed on Trip, who could do nothing but deny the somewhat truthful accusation.

"I do not!" he shouted absurdly at the closing door.

"Do not what?" a sweet feminine voice asked a few feet away.

"Gah! Hoshi." He tried to make the rest of his greeting normal. "How are you?"

"I'm alright, Commander."

"Ya know, I have a name."

"I know, Trip." She smiled sweetly at him and he thought he would die right then and there. _She's an Ensign, stupid! But she's so beau…whoa! Don't even go there, buddy._

"Um…" his voice seemed to catch in his throat. "Did you…did you hear what the Cap'n said?"

"No, I only heard you say you…didn't…something."

"Oh…well, in that case, it's nothin'. Nothin'at all…" An awkward silence followed. The expression on Trip's face could have meant anything, and he knew it.

_You look like an idiot. Stop standin' around an' get to work._ He ended the silence before it could get any more awkward.

"I…have to go." He turned and walked away quickly, leaving a very puzzled Hoshi by herself.

_That is one strange man, _she mused. _A very strange, very attractive man. Oh, come on, Hoshi, he's a Commander. _She shook her head and continued in the opposite direction down the corridor.

Several hours after the uncomfortable event in the corridor, Hoshi came onto the bridge for her shift. Everything seemed mostly normal – Archer was pacing, T'Pol was inscrutably Vulcan as usual, Travis was happy, and Malcolm seemed nervous.

In fact, Malcolm seemed unusually nervous. Archer noticed at the same time Hoshi did, and commented on it.

"Malcolm, what's got you so nervous? Even for a tactical officer."

"I'm not a hundred percent certain the alien ship has stopped following us."

"What alien ship?" Hoshi queried.

"Escorted us out of their star system a few hours ago." Archer responded. "It seems we intruded on restricted territory. They had enough firepower to destroy us without a fight. Malcolm's agitation is understandable, but we've scanned for them repeatedly."

"That cloaking device of theirs…" Malcolm reminded.

Hoshi had a sudden idea. "Is that why Commander Tucker was so…nervous in the corridor?"

A look similar to Trip's look of consternation leapt to the captain's face. _Uh oh. How much did she hear? This could be embarrassing_.

"You saw Trip in the corridor?"

"Right after he yelled at you in the turbolift."

"Oh…did you…hear what I said?"

"No. Should I have?"

"No. You shouldn't have."

"Alright. Sir."

Archer looked incredibly relieved, and Hoshi could only wonder why. He shook it off, though, and had T'Pol scan for the ship again.

"There is no sign of any vessel within sensor range, Captain." T'Pol announced when she was finished the scan. With impeccable timing, the turbolift doors opened and Charles Tucker the Third strode in.

"Cap'n, T'Pol." He greeted them simply as he walked to his console. "Malcolm, Hoshi." He added as an afterthought.

Hoshi smiled and looked at him. He seemed to avoid her glance purposefully, but it could have been a coincidence.

"Any sign of our scaly friends?" Trip asked casually, and addressed to no one in particular. T'Pol took the question as directed towards her and answered negatively.

"Well ain't that a relief."

"Yes, yes it is." Archer said.


	2. Sweet Torture

You have got to be kidding

_You have got to be kidding._ Trip tried to hide the expression of anger, confusion, and embarrassment he knew was coming to his face. _I'm gonna kill you_, he thought to Archer.

"Trip. You're late."

"I am?"

"Only a minute and thirty-four seconds." T'Pol said in typical T'Pol fashion. Hoshi rolled her eyes subtly and Trip glared at Archer, who gave the same sort of smile a child does when he's caught doing something he shouldn't. _At least it's a round table,_ Trip thought as he sat down across from Hoshi. At least this way everyone was the same distance from one another.

"So…" Archer tried, and failed, to initiate conversation. Nobody seemed interested in talking. T'Pol was Vulcan, Hoshi was tired, and Trip was angry. _Oops. Should have been more subtle._

"So, I assume the lizard heads gave up?" Trip finally broke the ice.

"If you mean the Caladarians, yes." T'Pol gave a typical answer.

"What other 'lizard heads' would I be talkin' about?"

Hoshi smirked and shook her head slightly. "That was close, wasn't it?"

Archer nodded his assent. "They could have slaughtered us."

"They seem to be a somewhat logical species."

"Somewhat." Trip said. _More than one close call today, and not all had to do with other species._

"This is delicious." Hoshi again.

_So are y…stop it! _Trip caught himself and smiled at her innocently, at least he hoped it seemed innocent.

"It is pretty good, ain't it?" He looked at Archer and glared again, subtly this time.

"I hope you don't mind Hoshi joining us, Trip."

"Course not." He said simply.

"Thanks again for the invitation, Captain." Hoshi sensed the strain between the two men and wondered what the cause was. _I guess they had a serious argument in the corridor. I wonder what it was about?_

"Glad to have you, Hoshi." Trip smiled at her and the tenseness seemed to dissipate. The conversation eventually picked up, and even T'Pol seemed to relax slightly. Trip told a story about being a kid in Florida that made Hoshi grin and Archer laugh out loud. T'Pol was less affected, telling Trip,

"I fail to see why you made such a decision, Commander."

"I was a kid, T'Pol. That's all."

"He's not the only human child to sneak out at night, Subcommander." Hoshi added. Archer gave her a look of mock disbelief.

"You, Hoshi? Sneaking out? That's hard to imagine."

"Yes, well, it wasn't hard for me to imagine, Sir." She smiled and stood up. "I think I'll call it a night."

Ever the gentlemen, Trip and Archer stood as well.

"Thank you, Captain. Commander, Subcommander." She stepped past them and walked out the door.

Trip sat down and sighed, as T'Pol stood up as well. Trip rolled his eyes and stood up again.

"You too, T'Pol?" Trip asked.

"I have scientific data to analyse. Thank you." She left, and Trip sighed even more as he collapsed into his chair.

"Cap'n…"

"You have something to say, Commander?" Archer practically grinned as he emphasized rank.

"I…nope. G'night, Cap'n." He stood up and left without another word. Archer had always enjoyed watching Trip squirm, and this was no different. _It's good to be in charge_, he thought as he too left for his quarters.


	3. Just Wanna Have Fun

_Whoa. Sorry about the long wait, guys. And girls. Just trying to get the ball rolling here, had no idea how to make this story work. But I have a pretty good idea and I hope you enjoy it. Here goes nothing._

"Aren't you comin'?"

"Not this time, Trip."

"C'mon. It'd be fun."

"Trip, I'm not going to the alien carnival, for the last time! Trade negotiations with the Rembasu are much more important. I'm not going to stop you from going, but I'm not."

Trip sighed and gave Archer a halfhearted, "Yes, sir."

"Find someone else to go with. It'd be fun." Trip didn't miss the mockery in Archer's last words, but decided not to glare at his captain this time. He just smiled and said, "See you around, Cap'n." Then he turned to find someone else to coerce into coming with him. Malcolm was a few feet away talking to one of the tall, yellow-skinned aliens frequenting the open-air marketplace.

"And you say these can shoot through walls? Walls made of what, exactly?" The British tactical officer was discussing some kind of deadly looking hand weapon, and Trip recognized the alien for the snake oil salesman he was.

"Why, it doesn't matter what the wall is made of. The weapon has a setting that rearranges the molecules of whatever you shoot it at. Just be sure not to shoot yourself in the foot accidentally."

"Rearranges molecules, huh?" Trip came up beside Malcolm and interrupted.

"Indeed." The alien responded blandly.

"That sounds almost too good to be true. Don't it, Malcolm?"

"Not exactly, Commander." Then Reed spoke to the alien, "It sounds interesting. But there are a few more things I'd like to take a look at before I make a decision."

"As you wish." Yellow Skin gave a polite bow and Malcolm turned to go. Trip was momentarily distracted by a familiar female voice and stared in Hoshi's direction for a second but caught himself and turned after his friend.

"Malcolm! Wait up."

"What can I do for you, Trip?"

"Don't tell me you're gonna spend all day lookin' at alien guns."

"Alright. I won't."

"Good! Let's go, then."

"No, I'd rather not."

"But you said you weren't gonna stay here all day."

"No I didn't. I said I wouldn't tell you."

"Oh, c'mon. It'll be fun."

"No, thank you. To me this is fun."

"Fine. I'll just have to find someone else."

"Good for you."

Trip walked away from Malcolm and towards Travis, who he felt sure would want to explore the "Gulaka" the natives were all excited about.

"I've seen lots of things like that, Commander. To me it's…old and boring."

"You're kidding."

"No, I'm not, Commander."

"Huh. Oh well." He turned to the Vulcan woman intently studying her tricorder. "T'Pol?"

"Yes?" She looked up and stared emotionlessly at him.

"I'm not even gonna try. Have fun, you two." Trip had one last chance, and he was going to take it. He left in the direction he'd last seen Hoshi.

T'Pol raised an eyebrow and went back to studying the energy readings she was picking up. Travis tried and failed to hide a snicker.

"Is something amusing, Ensign?" T'Pol questioned him without looking up.

"No ma'am. Have you made sense of those readings yet?"

"Indeed I have not. However, I have located the source. It is approximately one point three miles from here. Are you up for a walk, Ensign?"

_Only if it's on the beach…where did that come from?_ "I—uh, you want me to come with you?"

"Unless you would rather accept Commander Tucker's invitation to the Gulaka."

"Oh, no. I'd love to come."

"You may need this." She handed him another tricorder and the two went on their way.

_Umm…I just might have hinted at some Travis/T'Pol…the part where he says "Where did that come from" was more me than him. I just thought it was a funny line, maybe it won't go anywhere. But who knows? Anyway, please review. Good, heartfelt reviews are what makes fanfiction worth it._

_-RedSharkBait_


	4. A Hasty Retreat

"Wow! This is the softest thing I've ever felt. How does it get so soft?" Hoshi asked in amazement as she impulsively rubbed the garment against her cheek. She was enjoying herself immensely – the sights and sounds of an alien culture always fascinated her, and she was endlessly curious about nearly everything she saw.

"The fabric is so soft because the kilchuka was very young when slaughtered. I am told that the animals responsible for these fine garments were killed soon after birth."

"Killed? Soon after…" she felt disgusted and couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. She pulled the garment away from her face and handed it back to the yellow-skinned but handsome vendor. She knew it was true that death is a part of life, and she wasn't one to judge other cultures, but sometimes it was difficult. Often she told herself that accepting what another culture deems as right does not mean one must reject what they feel is right.

"Does the garment not please you, Ensign?" The vendor didn't know how to react. Not wanting to offend him, she hurriedly attempted to allay his fears.

"Oh, it's not that, I…I just don't…it's beautiful, it really is, but I'd rather not…"she stumbled and groped for words, and doubted he could understand her even with the universal translator. She was caught in a dilemma between defying her conscience and offending the alien.

"Somethin' wrong, Hoshi?" She was surprised but grateful when Trip came up beside her and questioned her concernedly. "Is he bothering you?" His question seemed presumptuous but she also thought it kind of cute. _He wants to protect me. He's so sweet…what am I going to say?_

"Oh, not at all. Good thing you're here, we can go now. Just in time, right?" She took his arm and pulled him away, hoping he could tell by her rapid speech she needed help.

"Uh…Hoshi?"

"Trip?"

"Where're we goin'?"

"I don't know yet, just away from…him."

"What'd he do?"

"Well…nothing…"

"Then what's the matter?"

"Can we just go?"

Trip realized she didn't want to offer any more explanation, but he knew that if the vendor had really offended her, she would have told him. So he let it slide. _That was easier than I thought it would be. I didn't even have ta ask her._

"Anywhere in particular you wanna go?"

"Not really. Any ideas?"

"Well, that…uh…Gulaka sounded pretty interestin'."

"Alright, let's go there."

_She's acting strange…_

"You sure you're alright, Hosh?" It was then that she realized she was still clutching his arm. She let go hurriedly.

"I'm fine, sir. I mean, Trip."

"A'right. Shall we?" He smiled benevolently, and she smiled back at him.

"We shall."

****

The Gulaka wasn't far, and it didn't take Trip and Hoshi long to arrive. On the way, Hoshi explained what had happened.

"That's all? You coulda just told him."

"I know, but I didn't want him to be offended."

"I understand. Bein' worried about what people think ain't a bad thing."

"Well, thanks for being…there."

"Anytime. I don't mind bein' part of your escape plans."

She laughed. "I think we're here. Wow."

"You can say that again." It really was impressive – there had been no sign of the alien fairground until they came upon an unexpected bend in the pathway, and there it was. It was enormous, and had everything a carnival should, including what looked like rides. It had gotten darker, and the glittering lights from various booths and events combined to form a pleasing symphony of light and color, accompanied by a chorus of alien voices, music and screams of joy from what were now obviously rides. What's more, the voices seemed to be speaking various languages.

"This is beautiful, Trip!" She exclaimed as they began to mingle with the crowd.

"Glad you like it!" They had to shout to hear each other over the crowd, but the volume wasn't unpleasant as much as it was intoxicating. Almost unconsciously, they reached for one another's hands, ostensibly for fear of being separated in the crowd. A young child dashed past, nearly knocking Hoshi over out of carelessness. Trip would have yelled at the kid to watch it, but the enormous stuffed animal the child was caring prompted Trip to ask, "You want me ta win you a teddy bear?"

She laughed and pulled herself closer to him. "I would _love _that."

_Just as long as it makes her smile._ Trip found himself thinking, at the same time feeling like everything would be alright as long as he made Hoshi happy. _Oh boy. This is trouble, Tucker._

"What do I have to do?" Trip asked when they arrived at a booth decorated with dozens of furry, adorable alien creatures.

"It's simple…" the alien said, and began to explain the rules.

_This may seem to be a terrible spot to end a chapter, so please bear with me. Another update soon, I promise!_

_-RedSharkBait_


	5. A Discovery, and Another Hasty Retreat

Ensign Travis Mayweather's legs hurt. And yet, he wasn't unhappy. Strange as it sounded, he was enjoying himself. _Who knew following a Vulcan through a swamp could be so much fun?_ It wasn't _quite_ a swamp, but it wasn't quite a forest anymore either. The terrain had changed rather soon after they left the open-air market. It wasn't until Travis checked the chronometer on his communicator that he realized they'd been walking for over an hour. _Well, she's not slowing down at all._

"Do you need to rest, Ensign?" T'Pol paused suddenly and questioned Mayweather without looking at him. She continued to consult her hand scanner.

He stopped and turned to face her. "I'm fine, Ma'am." Now she was looking at him.

"Are you certain? It would be illogical to mislead me – if you need to stop, we may."

Travis smiled. "I'm alright. Thanks anyways."

"No thanks is necessary, I have performed no service for you."

"But you offered. It's the thought that counts."

Her only response was to quirk an eyebrow. Travis made a "shall we?" gesture, and they continued. "Wait." Travis had a sudden thought. "Do _you_ need to rest?"

"No."

"Alright then." They moved off again, toward a muddy creek running quickly across the rocky soil. The creek was narrow, and they stepped across it easily, barely getting their boots wet. Now that they were out of the 'half forest', they could see a small building near where the creek bent out of view.

"Subcommander? I thought you said the source was only about a mile away. We've walked way more than one mile."

"Indeed we have." _I did not think he had noticed._ "Whatever the energy source is, it seems to distort tricorder readings."

"Well, are we going to check it out?"

"No."

"Oh. May I ask why not?"

"There is something…odd happening here."

_She can't explain something. I guess her logic isn't helping at the moment._

"Could you elaborate?"

"Ensign, look at your tricorder."

He did as he was told and attempted to scan the building. She could tell by the puzzled expression on his face that he now understood what she meant by 'something odd.'

"It's…not…there."

"According to both of our tricorders, that building does not exist. It is very improbable for two tricorders to malfunction in a similar fashion at the same moment."

"Well, either the building's there or it isn't. Shouldn't we go and find out?"

"It would be wiser to gather more information."

"How will we do that here without…" Travis let his voice trail off when her expression changed slightly, like she wanted him to figure out the answer himself. He was quick to grasp what she was thinking.

"You think we should go back to the _Enterprise_ and use it's sensors to scan that…ghost building over there."

"It seems the logical course to use the ship's more powerful sensors."

"It certainly does. Shall we?" He began to stand up.

"Indeed we shall. We should hurry – if my understanding of this planet's rotation is accurate, it will be nightfall soon."

_Bit of a long winded way to say it's gonna get dark._ "Then let's go." They started back into the dense vegetation and had walked a short distance when T'Pol stopped suddenly.

"What is it?"

"Someone is coming."

"From where?"

T'Pol didn't need to answer his question. A harsh voice spoke a short distance to their left. The words were unintelligible – the UT seemed to be malfunctioning, but the voice was not happy. Travis could also make out two more sets of footsteps. Sure enough, three aliens dressed in some sort of armor came around a rather large tree to the left, each brandishing a deadly-looking weapon.

T'Pol seemed inclined to speak to them, but they weren't in a mood for talking. One fired his weapon even as T'Pol and Travis began to run. The aliens were still relatively far away, and the tangled underbrush allowed the intruders to disappear quickly.

*******

Post Elitist Jornaz T'Karlak was surprised and confused. Two biological signatures were approaching a secret research facility that even the Rembasu Imperator knew nothing of. No official Rembasu scan had ever found the facility, but the "Starfleet" visitors seemed to have no trouble seeing the invisible building. One of the signatures was a typical male of the seemingly dominant species on the ship called "_Enterprise_", and the other was a female of a different species. Jornaz remembered being puzzled when he first saw her signature while scanning the alien vessel. He didn't know if Humans kept slaves or not, but there were at least two individuals of a different species on the _Enterprise_. There might have been more whose physiologies were not as different from the Human norm. Jornaz mused over this as he thought about what to do. As First Sentry, it was his duty to guard the facility from all intruders. However, it was possible that the would-be intruders were not even aware of the facility. _Looking for trunk spice, maybe._ The area around the facility abounded with the prized narcotic.

That theory was proved wrong when Jornaz's monitor detected a low-level energy scan emanating from the signatures. _They know it's here! They're scanning the facility!_ _That's impossible._ The facility should have been completely invisible. He had recently finished a diagnostic of the dampening field, and everything was in order – no Rembasu, Caladarian or any member of a known species should have been able to _see_ the facility, let alone have scanning equipment that could penetrate the field.

_We may have underestimated the Humans and their level of technology. _Jornaz never made the same mistake twice. He shuddered to think of his role in the now infamous "Jotari Massacre." A Post Elitist Sentry at the top of his career, he still hadn't come to appreciate the old Sentry Maxim : "None can be trusted but the dead to stay dead and the young to grow old." Naively, he had decided to take the course of diplomacy to turn back two "innocent" Antolan children rather than shooting first and not bothering to ask questions. Only, the Antolan children were not children or even Antolan at all. They were Loyalist spies, genetically altered with the ability to shapeshift. They had injured him severely and made their way into the laboratory on Jotari Prime, where they stole years' worth of research and detonated a molecular destabilizer bomb that killed most of the scientists and guards in the facility. There were three other survivors besides Jornaz and his beloved Ancierra.

Jornaz still did not fully understand why he hadn't been executed for his failure, but politics had never been his strong suit. It seemed that a certain Overcounsellor thought it would be of more benefit to hail Jornaz as a hero who fought a bitter last stand against a vastly superior enemy than to execute him as a neglectful and careless criminal. It didn't matter what he said, what the truth was. The Overcounsel didn't care. He protested and threatened legal action. So they sent him to Rembas, a top-secret facility within enemy territory to keep him quiet. It was a promotion, but it felt like a demotion and a bribe. It was another reason Jornaz hated politics. He would not make the same mistake twice. He activated the proximity alarm and summoned his two best Searchers. He would find the spies and make them pay.

*******

The alien's first shot missed, and T'Pol and Travis appreciated the time it bought them. It wasn't the first time either of them had been chased through a forest by angry aliens, and it probably wouldn't be the last. _This is getting old,_ Travis told himself. _Faster!_ A jolt of adrenaline accompanied a close shot, and he sped up. T'Pol was faster than him, and stayed ahead. Until he stumbled and fell behind her. T'Pol glanced back at him just as a blast from the alien weapon hit her in the stomach. She crumpled and fell as green blood flowed from the wound. Travis was already drawing his phaser and spun around to return fire, flipping his communicator open at the same time. One of the aliens fell as he said, "Mayweather to _Enterprise_! Emergency transport, now!"

Jornaz stepped forward and aimed his weapon at the dark-skinned human's forehead. He squeezed the trigger as the alien shouted something undecipherable into a small device.

Travis moved to dodge the bolt of fire, but it was to no avail. The pulse hit him in the forehead seconds before he was enveloped in the transporter's blue tingle.

_Oh no, he shot Travis! What's in the facility? And why is it so important? Don't worry, I'll answer all your questions soon. Please read and review, I always appreciate it. _

_-RedSharkBait_


	6. Two In One

_Pain. All he knew was pain. The phrase "world of hurt" would have taken on a whole new meaning for him – if he had been capable of any semblance of organized thought. His entire universe was pain, chaos, panic. Every nerve and every muscle burned and vibrated with excruciating anguish. Travis no longer remembered a time when he didn't feel pain. It was a constant, white-hot aura of torment, surrounding and enveloping him completely._

"I can't stop his pain! None of the anesthetics I have tried have been successful."

"What's wrong with him?"

"If I knew, I could treat it!"

"You don't know what's wrong with him?"

"Well, that isn't quite accurate. I know what is happening to him, but I cannot explain it."

"What's happening to him, Doctor?"

"Whatever weapon was fired at him struck him in the forehead. It was a low-level energy discharge, but the nature of this energy caused it to disrupt his neural pathways in a way I have never seen before."

"Meaning?"

"Simply put, it has…jarred the neurons in the part of his brain that causes him to feel pain. In effect, his pain receptors are stuck in an 'on' position."

"So it's mental pain, not physical."

"Basically, yes. But that does not make it any less excruciating."

"Doctor, what options do we have?"

Phlox threw up his hands in a helpless gesture. He looked at Travis, moaning and writhing in agony. "I need to re-align his neural pathways without damaging them further."

"Haven't you re-aligned neural pathways before?"

"Yes, but never when the pathways were so intensively damaged. It would be a much more delicate operation, one I'm not sure I am qualified to perform."

"Any chance his mind will repair itself?"

"None, I'm afraid."

"Then what choice do we have!?" Archer raised his voice, almost to a shout.

Phlox sighed. "I will attempt the realignment. After all, we have no choice."

"That is incorrect."

"Subcommander?" Phlox questioned the Vulcan who had suddenly appeared at his side. Neither he or Archer had noticed her get up from her bed and walk over.

"We have another option for the treatment of Ensign Mayweather."

"T'Pol?" Archer questioned in a 'go on' tone of voice.

"A mind meld."

"You think you could re-align Travis's neurons with a _mind meld_?" Archer questioned.

"When Minister T'Pau repaired my Pa'nar syndrome, she was in effect performing the same function."

"Minister T'Pau had melded before, possibly on many occasions. She knew how to realign the neural pathways connected to Pa'nar syndrome. This is a different situation. I do not believe you are…qualified to perform the task."

"Don't forget the _other_ mind meld you were part of. It didn't turn out very well."

"The situation differs, Captain. I have done considerable research on the subject, and I believe I will be able to conduct the meld safely. At the very least, I can assist Ensign Mayweather to bear the pain he is experiencing." Travis screamed and sobbed beside them, as if to punctuate T'Pol's words.

"Vulcans are better able to cope with pain, Captain. I believe the Subcommander's suggestion has merit."

Archer sighed. It was unethical to leave Travis in such pain when there was a possible solution. T'Pol was willing to take the risk to herself, even if he didn't want her to. It was her decision. He nodded and said, "Do it."

"Aye, Captain."

"Is there anything you need, Subcommander?" Doctor Phlox asked helpfully.

"Silence. And please dim the lights." Phlox nodded and darkened the room as T'Pol approached Travis, who was still shaking in pain. Ever so gently, she placed her fingers on his _katra_ points and spoke calmly. "My mind to your mind. My thoughts…to your thoughts." The two became one as Archer and Phlox looked on.

_*Travis.* Her voice was loud and clear in his mind, easily breaking through his pain and speaking directly into his consciousness. He tried to speak, but no words came._

_*Do not speak. Think.*_

_*T'Pol?* Somehow, it seemed odd to call her "Subcommander" while she was inside his mind. It didn't seem strange, however, that she would be inside his mind in the first place. *What happened?*_

_*The weapon that was fired at you has damaged your neural pathways.*_

_The temporary relief he had felt suddenly faltered. He cringed. *It hurts. Oh it hurts.*_

_*I know. Pain is only a distraction. Do not focus on the pain.*_

_*Hard…not…to…* Even his thoughts were unclear._

_*Focus elsewhere.*_

_*On what?*_

_*On me, if you need to. I will bear your pain.*_

_*Why?*He didn't understand._

_*Because it must be done. Travis, now I must realign your neural pathways. It will hurt, but I will carry part of it for you.*_

_*Why is it going to hurt more?*_

_*You question everything.* It wasn't a criticism, merely an observation. He could feel that she did not disapprove of his never ending curiosity. He could sense many things, and none of them made sense to him._

_*I do. You don't accept things quickly either.* An observation, one he would not have made to her face. Here – in her mind – there was no holding back, no secrets. Even her emotions, repressed as they were, became a part of his._

_*I must continue, Travis.* He consented, and she began to heal his mind._

_Author's Note:_

_Aww, look at that! Travis is alive! Predictable? Probably, but I couldn't kill him, could I? He's central to the plot, silly! More soon, I hope. Please review! Let me know what you think about T'Pol and Travis sharing minds._

_-RedSharkBait_


	7. Crescendo

_It's been too long since I worked on this story, and I apologize for that. But better late than never, right? Right!_

"It's beautiful, Trip! Thank you so much."

"No problem, Hosh. It was fun." Trip's eyes sparkled as he smiled at her and she hugged him without thinking. He hugged her back as if he had done it a thousand times, like it was the most natural thing in the world. _Uh-oh,_ a voice in Hoshi's mind whispered. She couldn't ignore it, and she pulled back suddenly, trying to collect herself.

"I…uh…I'm sorry, I…" she couldn't find the words, and neither could he. She stammered and felt her face start to burn with embarrassment. The two stepped back and looked around – at the sky, the ground, anywhere but at each other.

"So…it's gettin' late. We…uh…we should probably…leave…" Trip started to tell her before he was cut off. A strange sound, alien but unmistakable interrupted the cacophony of the crowd. Trip spun around and stepped in front of Hoshi, embarrassment replaced with consternation on his face. "That was weapons fire, no doubt about it. Time to go, Ensign!" Suddenly he was all business, professional and authoritative. He put a hand on her shoulder, but it was a protective gesture, not an affectionate one. He pulled his communicator from his pocket as the two of them tried to push their way through the panicking crowd. They didn't get far.

A sound similar to the one before was all the warning they had before a glowing bolt of energy hit a nearby booth and an explosion knocked them off their feet. The crowd panicked, screams filling the air as Hoshi struggled to regain her footing. Someone tripped backwards over her and something hard hit her face. Trip rolled to his feet a few meters away and ran to help her, grabbing her offered hand and yanking her hard to her feet before the two ran together as one.

The source of the fire in the sky became apparent when some kind of aircraft rushed past their heads, yellow orbs of energy erupting from somewhere along it's body with a deafening roar, numerous explosions demolishing the Gulaka as other aircraft arrived and joined the assault.

"Trip, the building!" Hoshi shouted, spying possible shelter in the form of a large warehouse of some kind. Wordlessly, Trip changed direction and pulled her towards it, her smaller frame struggling to keep up with his long strides.

In the skies above, Elitist Ancierra T'Karla smiled when a display lit up near her helmet. _Two unknown biological signatures detected._ Narka ceased firing on the crowd below and directed her craft back in the direction she'd come.

Trip and Hoshi were close to the building when a shift in the noise behind them made known the fact that one of the alien 'planes' was coming right for them. Operating on instinct alone, Trip pulled Hoshi close to him and threw them both to the ground, hoping it would protect her. It didn't.

The Starfleet officers hit the ground hard as targeting sensors in the Caladarian semi-orbital bombardment craft converged on their location and automatically activated a matter-energy conversion beam. A bright light shot out and careened toward them as Hoshi screamed and a solitary, furious "No!" escaped Trip's mouth. The two were enveloped in the light and their world ceased to be.

_Dun dun da dun…hey, something exciting finally happened! Please review and tell me what you think. Or ask a question. Whatever you want, really. Just as long as you review!_

_-RedSharkBait_


	8. UnPleasant Surprises

_Hello, fanfiction fans! Time for an update. Here's a little bit of a re-cap: Trip has more feelings than he should for Hoshi. Archer is in the middle of trade negotiations with a species called the Rembasu. T'Pol and Travis have discovered a secret facility of some kind, not far from the alien carnival Trip and Hoshi are attending. Caladarian spies have left Travis with damaged neural pathways which T'Pol has attempted to mend by mind melding with him. Last chapter, Trip and Hoshi were caught in the middle of an aerial attack and both were struck with a "matter-energy conversion beam."_

There had been no opportunity to prepare for this unique turn of events. Travis felt it was a glaring omission that he'd never had to sign a document saying, "Serving on the _Enterprise_ may result in being psychically bonded with a member of another species without your prior consent." True, he couldn't have given 'prior consent' in this situation, but it would have been preferable to have some advance warning.

It was an odd sensation, to say the least. The mind-meld had been strange enough, but this…Travis wasn't sure he could handle it. It wasn't as though he was ungrateful, it was just so…_alien_. Travis had always tried to push such stereotypes out of his mind – T'Pol wasn't an "alien", she was a Vulcan. _He_ was as alien to her as she was to him.

*******

It hadn't been T'Pol's first mind-meld, and in all probability it wouldn't be her last. However, none of her previous mind-melds had involved reaching so deep into the mind of another, and none had lasted so long. A mind-meld in itself, provided the other party was not malicious, was not an entirely unpleasant event. Remaining bonded with another being after the meld had ended was another matter entirely.

T'Pol had no cause for resentment against Travis – for _Ensign Mayweather_, she corrected herself – on either a personal or professional level. She merely felt unbalanced, her harmonious, logical mind corrupted with the haphazard, rapid-fire emotions of a typical human male. And it was her fault.

Though she had been unable to foresee this, the fact remained that she had initiated the meld. The logical, balanced part of her mind told her she should have considered the choice more carefully, while another part of her felt she had been forced to act quickly, that there had been no time. She could only hope it was possible to reverse the bond.

_*T'Pol, it wasn't your fault.* _His sudden intrusion on her thoughts stopped her muse.

_*I initiated the mind-meld. It most definitely is my fault.*_

_*You couldn't have foreseen this.*_

_*Perhaps I should have thought the problem over more thoroughly. I may have arrived at another solution.*_

_*And what if you waited too long and I died?*_

_*That would be…undesirable.*_

_*You're telling me! Hey, I'm the one who got shot.*_

_*You could not have foreseen that.*_

_*My point exactly.*_

She had to admit there was logic to his thoughts. She was also surprised her that she found the thought of his death so unpleasant, more so than she found anyone's death to be. _*I am not resentful of the fact that I cured you, Ensign.*_

_*I know. I can feel it…this is the strangest thing I've ever felt, like I'm a part of you.*_

_*Our minds are shared, Ensign.*_

_*While you're inside my head, would you mind calling me Travis? I can tell you want to…why are you holding it back?*_ Face to face, she would have found his directness insulting. It was different inside her mind, however. He could not conceal his thoughts, could not filter them as he could words.

_*I feel we should still maintain a measure of decorum…*_

_*Nobody else is in here, T'Pol.*_

_*I know, Travis.*_

_*This is as uncomfortable and…alien for me as it is for you, T'Pol.*_

_*I know, Travis. I can feel it, I am a part of you as well.*_

_*Maybe Phlox can help us undo it…*_

_*Perhaps.*_

"Subcommander T'Pol and Ensign Mayweather to the bridge." Archer's voice came over the com and interrupted the telepathic conversation. T'Pol met Travis' eyes from across the mess as both stood up from their meal and hurried to the turbolift.

_*Something's happened.*_ There was no way of telling whose thought it was originally, as concern and trepidation filled the bond, amplified as a result of flowing through more than one _katra_, nearly to the point of being painful. Travis seemed to sense T'Pol's discomfort and tried to calm himself, an action T'Pol was grateful for. The Ensign was 'full of surprises' as Archer or Tucker would have put it. He constantly proved himself more astute than she expected.

The ride to the bridge took place in silence verbally and mentally, as each one tried to focus on remaining calm and not on the individual so closely entwined with them.

"What has happened?" T'Pol asked Captain Archer as she approached her station. Travis stepped past her and took his station.

"We've lost contact with Trip and Hoshi, and we can't find their lifesigns. We also detected energy weapons fire on the surface."

"Have the Rembasu been contacted?"

"They aren't responding, or maybe they can't understand us. If Hoshi were here…"

"Captain!" Reed's voice cut in sharply. "I'm detecting three Caladarian vessels entering the system!"

"Polarize the hull plating. Travis, prepare for evasive maneuvers!"

"Captain, they're charging weapons…I think." Reed sounded perplexed.

"What do you mean, you think?" Archer snapped.

"It's an energy buildup, but it's not coming from any of their weapons ports…I don't know what it is."

Outside the_ Enterprise_, three streamlined, deadly ships spread into an attack formation and raced towards the Earth vessel.

"They're closing on us, Captain…they're right on top of us!"

Energy beams spread out from each of the three vessels and struck _Enterprise_. The ship shuddered with the impact and many of the crew were thrown to the ground.

"Reed…what's going on? Travis, get us out of here!"

"The helm is not responding, Captain!"

"Neither are weapons." Reed complained.

"T'Pol, open hailing frequencies! Maybe we can talk to them again."

_*At least it can't get any worse.*_ Travis said silently, just as the power went out all over the ship. _*Oops.*_

_*A curious association between your thoughts and the state of the ship, is it not?*_ The amusement coursing through T'Pol's mind was not lost on Travis, and in the darkness he let himself grin in spite of their situation. _*You're full of surprises, did you know that?*_ He told her, unknowingly copying her prior thoughts about him.

_What do you think? This was a fun chapter to write, I hope you enjoy reading it! New chapter pretty quick – honestly this time! I'm not gonna let a free spare block go to waste!_

_-RedSharkBait_


	9. In Due Time

The universe came back into existence in a blaze of blinding light and searing pain, like being simultaneously burned and frozen from the inside out. Trip groaned and tried not to open his eyes, very aware of the warm female body beneath him but unable to move. If her whimper of pain was any indication, she was suffering as much as he was.

"Ho…sh…" He tried to speak, to call her name, but the pain was too great. Instead he tried to relax, laying his head on the back of her neck and forcing his tired lungs to breathe. The pain slowly began to subside as air filled his lungs and he was left with an unpleasant tingling sensation, like every part of his body had fallen asleep. Still, it was better. Now he could move.

"Hoshi?" He forced himself to say as he rolled away.

"Trip?" Her voice was so quiet he barely heard her.

"S'okay, darlin'. Th' pain…goes…'way…" it was still hard to breathe, and the pain made his accent thicker to the point where he doubted she understood him.

"What…ow…" Hoshi was as incoherent as he was.

"I apologize for your discomfort." An unfamiliar voice, infuriatingly calm and condescending, captured Trip's attention. "The matter-to-energy conversion technology was designed with our species, not yours, in mind."

"Right…" Trip replied, as flippant as he could manage. He forced himself to sit up and look the alien in the face. Beside him, Hoshi rolled over and tried to do the same. "Whaddaya want with us?" Trip continued, glaring up at the scaly face of his captor.

"Your cooperation. I promise no harm will come to you."

_I'll bet._ Trip put about as much stock in that as he would in the promise of any slimy, conniving reptile. It wasn't just the scales – Trip had been enough places and seen enough people to recognize a snake-oil-salesman when he saw one.

"Cooperation…in what?" Hoshi questioned.

"You will see when the time comes. Please, come with me." Their captor looked at them expectantly, seeming to forget – or, more likely, to not care about – their discomfort. "Can you stand?" He added as an afterthought.

"Yeah, I can stand." Trip muttered. "Y'alright, Hosh?" He stood on tired legs and offered his hand. Hoshi winced and took him up on the offer. Her knees seemed about to give out just as she stood, and she stumbled towards him, almost collapsing against his chest. Trip steadied her shoulders and gave what he hoped was a consoling smile. Her mouth smiled back, but her dark eyes were still terrified.

"You're okay?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay. Let's go." He turned, but kept a hand on her shoulder, sliding his arm around her to support her as they followed the snake-oil-salesman kidnapper.

*******

"Well, Captain Archer, I didn't think I'd be seeing _you_ so soon." T'Pol hadn't talked extensively with Commodore Kelias, but she didn't appreciate what she had seen of the man. He was arrogant, condescending, and quite obviously sexist. "I thought I warned you to stay out of our affairs," Kelias continued. "Didn't I?"

"We didn't know you planned on attacking the Rembasu and firing on an unarmed civilian gathering."

"You really must find a way to condemn me at every turn, mustn't you? Who are you to lecture my people on ethics?" Kelias probed, seeming indignant.

_*He's baiting the Captain.*_ Travis' voice, now familiar enough to be less of a nuisance, accompanied her thoughts rather than intruding on them. His observation seemed correct, and T'Pol hoped the Captain wouldn't fall for Kelias' machinations and do something illogical.

"I meant no offense, Commodore."

"Oh, none taken, Captain. I sincerely hope you don't take this whole circumstance _personally_. It's just…business, you know."

"Just business." Reed echoed skeptically. "Crippling our ship is just business?"

It was Kelias' second in command who spoke now. Elnik seemed a far more reasonable man. "Believe me, Lieutenant, we caused no lasting damage. The dampening field is temporary."

"And we fully intend to shut it off, assuming you cooperate." Kelias added. "Just as none of you…" The alien paused, letting his eyes take in all those on the bridge. His eyes met T'Pol's for the briefest of moments, but settled on her body for too long than common courtesy or politeness allowed. He finished, "…will come to harm if you cooperate." His eyes had returned to Captain Archer, but T'Pol was left with a lingering sensation of revulsion and indignation.

_*He's a pig.* _Travis thought, looking at T'Pol from where he stood at her side.

_*He does seem chauvinistic.* _T'Pol agreed. _*There is no need for…jealousy, however.*_ She glanced at Travis to punctuate her last thought.

_*I'm not...* _Travis started to argue, hesitated, then seemed to decide it was too difficult and gave up, deciding instead to change the subject. _*…he shouldn't have looked at you like that.*_

"Now, Captain…I'm afraid I need you all to come with me." Suddenly, Kelias' voice took on a more threatening tone, as his soldiers drew their weapons and pointed them at what was left of the bridge crew. "Kelias to _Navu_, six to transport aboard."

"_Navu_ acknowledges. Preparing for transport." A disembodied voice replied. Moments later, T'Pol felt surrounded by a bright white light.

*******

"Thank you, Envek." The leader of their captors had a different air than the man who'd first greeted them. "Hello, Commander. Ensign. I'm Jornaz T'Karla, Sentry of the Veldak Base."

"What do you want with us?" Trip repeated his earlier question.

"All in good time, Commander. I will assure you that I mean no harm to you or to your mate."

"What?" Trip demanded.

"I'm not his wife!" Hoshi said at the same time. Understanding dawned on Trip, and he somewhat hurriedly removed his arm from Hoshi's shoulders.

"No, we're not…she's not…no." Trip stammered.

"My apologies…" T'Karla backpedaled. "I merely assumed…my mistake. I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Hoshi said diplomatically.

"No hard feelings." Trip added, glancing sideways at what appeared to be a very amused Ensign. _She thinks it's funny! Dream on, Trip._

*******


End file.
